Archives for February 2013

Reviewed by Jen

I haven’t always been comfortable with everywhere Amelia Gormley has taken Derrick and Gavin. When I started the series, there was barely a whiff of where these two would end up sexually, and suffice it to say, they ended up outside of my comfort zone. I read book two, Acceleration, and realized they were entering the BDSM zone and then had a decision to make. Keep reading the series or write it off? The thing is, Gormley did such a good job making me invest in the characters, I had to keep going. I had to see how their story would end. And while their brand of kink still doesn’t do it for me, I am glad I chose to see it through.

The past two books followed these two men as they began their journey into relationship and ramped things up to a fever pitch. We’ve seen their failings and weaknesses, hunger and joys. And this final installment is all about whether they’ll have their happily ever after, and what it might look like. Among other things, that includes finding out Gavin’s HIV status and dealing with his horrible ex.

The story moved pretty fast. I read it all in one sitting. What I liked about it is that the relationship is really evening out. The last book had these guys consumed with sexual fire. And while the sex is a vital part of their dynamic here, the focus is really more on trust and commitment. Derrick is a lot less emo. Gavin is (somewhat) less neurotic. And the power between the two of them felt a lot more balanced. One of the things that really bothered me about Acceleration was that I felt Gavin held all the cards. Maybe it was in part because he dominated Derrick in the bedroom, but in other ways too. Here, Derrick got to take the reins some, both sexually and with emotional empowerment. I needed to see this balance to feel better about their future.

The sexual element focused less on the humiliation factor and more on the pain than the last one. Take that as you will. Neither appeals to me. But I do acknowledge that the author uses the dominance and submission as a tool for these two to work out their emotional issues.

When all was said and done, though, I was satisfied with the conclusion. I think I’d recommend the trilogy to contemporary m/m romance fans, especially if you think BDSM is hot.

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Reviewed by Shelly

I couldn’t wait to read this book. Just because I don’t review a lot of AA novels, doesn’t mean I don’t read ‘em. This is a story of a couple whose marriage has collapsed and is on the verge of divorce. Joshua and Christy have known each other since she was a teenager; he’s six years older. At the time, Joshua worked for Christy’s father. After getting close, this couple definitely had some ups and downs prior to and during their marriage.

After eight years of marriage, Christy has moved out of their home. Joshua decides that enough is enough when he gets the divorce papers three months later. It’s time to bring his wife home. What a great premise right? It wasn’t until the last chapter that I started getting interested in this story.

These two had a lot of growing as a couple to do. I never understood what Christy saw in Joshua other than his looks and same with Joshua’s feelings towards Christy. Basically, Christy came across as a spoiled little rich girl who resented those, including her husband, around her. Joshua came across as a guy who’s trying to get the girl, but his motivation confounded me. I don’t know if he was more afraid of failure or of losing Christy. I so wanted to enjoy this story but the description of this marriage was so very formal and I didn’t understand what would change once the Island get-away is over.

I mentioned that it wasn’t until the last chapter when I started liking these characters and unfortunately by then it was too late for me. There was a sex scene in this one with an adequate mention of ‘channels’. But again, I think I could have appreciated it more if I cared for the characters.

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Reviewed by Shelly

They’re back and are burning up the pages. Ludovic and Diana have been married for three months. She’s in her last month of pregnancy – you get the idea that they’re not the most conventional couple of their times – but hey, it happens.

Well, I’m happy to say that Ludovic has not changed a bit. He’s still up to his eyeballs in love with Diana and that’s a good thing because Diana is feeling the ungainly effects of her advanced pregnancy. Even better, she’s still a strong woman, not willing to fall prey to Ludovic’s charm without a little bit of attitude.

I really enjoyed the glimpse – and may I say tease – into Ludovic and Diana’s marriage. For those of us who want to know – the sex scenes where much more explicit than the last story which I think is appropriate for Ludovic’s nefarious deeds (he’s no saint) and where they are in their relationship. There were some old friends who made appearances along with some new friends that I hope to see in the next installment.

If you enjoyed any of The Devil DeVere series, pick this one up – you won’t be disappointed.

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Reviewed by Jen

It’s been two years since Megs has last seen her husband. She and Godric didn’t marry for love. Her brother knew his darkest secret –that he was the mysterious and deadly Ghost of St. Giles– and used that information to blackmail him into the marriage. Megs was pregnant and her fiance, dead. She needed a husband. But sadly, she lost the baby right after the wedding and quickly went away to the country to convalesce.

Now she is back in London with two missions: to track down her lover’s killer and to convince her husband to give her the baby she’s always wanted. Neither task will be an easy one.

Godric has never gotten over the death of his first wife, Clara. Moving on –even with his new wife– feels like a betrayal of his first love. But when he finds out that Megs is plotting to ferret out a killer in St Giles, he agrees to father her child, to keep her distracted and to keep her safe. Of course, despite their best intentions to stay true to the memories of their lost loved ones… they end up falling for one another.

I liked Godric a lot. He loved his Clara so much. It was nice to see a hero who isn’t a rake. He isn’t an alpha. Not a virgin. Not a brother’s best friend. Not even a duke or an earl. He’s 37 years-old. He’s known love and loss and sacrifice. He fights for the downtrodden. And he mourns. He’s so serious and sad, but he hasn’t lost his humanity. He generously welcomes Megs and her entourage into his home. He gives her everything she needs and he never lets her down.

Megs has a harder time letting go of her past than Godric does. Maybe it’s because he is older and more mature that he can allow himself to open his heart again. But though she is a little slower on the uptake, Megs does come through. The love story is sweet and the sex is satisfying.

There is also a scintillating set up for the third Ghost’s story, featuring Artemis and the Duke of Wakefield. I am intrigued by her and her twin’s story –and I am excited to find out what Wakefield’s single-minded focus is.

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Reviewed by Jen

This book was almost great. It pains me to say that, because the parts of it that were good were very, very good. But the two issues I had with it really took away from my overall enjoyment.

This second installment in Gena Showalter’s Angels of the Dark series features Koldo, and though I wasn’t that excited to learn he was getting his own book, he ended up a really good tortured hero. He was raised by a mother who hated him and cut off his wings. Then he was abandoned to be tortured and kept by his evil father, until he was eventually freed to fight on the side of the angels. He has never known love or tender emotions from anyone. But that changes when Nicola enters his life.

Nicola and her twin sister were both born with heart problems and both face an uncertain future. But when Koldo comes across them in the course of another mission, he can’t ignore how he is drawn to Nicola. He makes it his task to free her from the demons who foster her illness and to teach her how to fight their influence. And in the process, they fall in love.

I think what I liked best about the story is how effortless the romance is between Nicola and Koldo. I can see how and why they fall for each other. There is no great misunderstanding or hurtful mistake one has to forgive the other for. Koldo just wants to be loved and Nicola is the balm to his tattered soul. It hit my romance happy buttons all over.

Unfortunately, the book failed big time in the sexual arena. Usually Showalter’s books really deliver with the sexy times. Here, I reread their first sexual encounter three times and I’m still not sure what the hell happened. It was that vague. Then, when they finally do seal the deal (a measly one time) again, the language is vague and totally unsatisfying.

“Nicola,” he said, and finally –finally– claimed her…
Hesitantly, he leaned down and kissed her again. Softly, gently. It didn’t take long to renew their passions, and then, oh, then, they wed in body, as well. She yielded to him without reservation, accepting him, burning for him, loving him, enfolding him in her arms, crying his name, begging him for more, nipping at his lips.

They wed in body?? Who is this author and what has she done with Gena Showalter’s sex scenes? This was a total missed opportunity, since Koldo is a sexy virgin hero who is just exploring his sexuality for the first time.

My second big issue? It’s a little too… religious isn’t the right word. But it felt dangerously close to having a “message.” The angels have been a part of the Lords of the Underworld series for some time now, but not until this book did it have more of a traditional ring for me. Essentially in the sense that it is faith in the Most High that can make or break you in this book. It felt like PNR with a little bit of an inspirational bent.

The romance was really good though, as was the construction of the characters. I felt like I knew them and I was 100% invested in them. So much so, I might have given it an A, had it not been for the disappointing sex and the feeling that I was supposed to find God when it was all said and done.

Ty Hendricks, the hero in my latest release, UNCOMMON PLEASURE, is a very specific type of man. He’s a former Marine struggling under a terrible burden of guilt, a loner, working on oil rigs for thirty days at a stretch, then drinking and sleeping his way through the available female population when he’s not off-shore. He loves to dance, and bears more than a passing resemblance to Sawyer from Lost. He’s emotionally shut down, and he’s teetering on the edge of becoming exactly what he never, ever wanted to be.

Sean Winthrop, the other hero, is Ty’s mirror opposite. He’s a Naval Academy graduate with a brilliant military mind who’s on leave after a tour in Afghanistan. He got his twenty-two Marines home safely, and is solidly grounded in family and duty. He avoids dancing at all costs, and while he’s perfectly capable of handling the physical and mental demands inherent in being a grunt, he’s much more comfortable in the library. His only regret in life is breaking up with the woman he had a passionate, whirlwind affair with before he deployed.

Which one would you choose? Does the dark, tormented soul appeal to you, or the more cerebral, thoughtful geeky type? I’m a sucker for Sean, frankly, but so far reader response is coming down heavily in Ty’s favor. Comment with your favorite hero type to win a copy of UNCOMMON PLEASURE!

This contest is closed. The winner is Kassandra.

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I am so late on this post!! I’ve already read several of my big OMG upcoming releases. Like Kim Harrison’s uber-awesome Ever After. That one came out back in January. Elizabeth Hoyt’s Lord of Darkness. Kristen Callihan’s Winterblaze. Patricia Briggs’ Frost Burned. Jennifer Estep’s Deadly Sting (don’t even talk to me about Owen, y’all.) But I refuse to believe I am too late. Some of my most anticipated books of 2013 I’m still, well, anticipating. Here’s a look ahead.

Lover At Last, JR Ward. (Releases: 3/26.) This one is the motherload folks. Frankly, my numero uno, wet-my-pants most anticipated book of the year. And it is only a month away. I put in a vacation request at work for the release day months ago. I kid you not. This 11th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series finally gives us the Qhuinn and Blay love story that JR Ward has been teasing us with for years. I want this book like I want my next breath. It is going to epic. (Or I may never get over my disappointment.)

Twice Tempted, Jeaniene Frost. (Releases: 3/26.) I absolutely adored the first book in Vlad and Leila’s love story. I’ve been a longtime fan of the Night Huntress world and this new romance has really given the series an infusion of excitement. I thought it was awesome that Frost chose not to rush an “I love you,” in the last book. The wait will make Vlad’s fall even sweeter!

Wrong Ways Down, Stacia Kane. (Releases: August) I absolutely love the Downside series, and that is thanks largely to Terrible, one of my favorite heroes of Urban Fantasy –or frankly, any genre. This is the novella from his POV, set between Unholy Ghosts and Unholy Magic. Just reading the excerpt on Kane’s website makes me want to read the whole series again. This was supposed to release on Valentines Day, but now there’s no word on when it’s coming out.

Cloak & Silence, Sherrilyn Kenyon. (Releases: July) Another novella that was supposed to be out on V-Day and got pushed back. This is Kenyon’s first stab at m/m and it features two guys from her League series. It takes place around the same time as the second half of Born of Silence. I am very excited for this one.

Touch & Geaux, Abigail Roux. (Releases: April 8.) The Cut & Run series is not just my favorite m/m series, it’s one of my favorite series in romance. Period. The last book was so happy and wonderful and in this next book, Roux promises to rip the rug right out from under us. I am terrified. And if I thought I could get this book today, I would camp outside of Roux’s house in a pup tent. –Yes, really.

Heart of Obsidian, by Nalini Singh. (Releases: June 4.) It’s got to be Kaleb’s book, right?? Fans of Singh’s Psy-Changeling series actually stalked the author’s website just to see the cover on this one. (I may have been one of those people.) The cover art did not disappoint. It’s still another couple of weeks, though, before we get the blurb. Marketing genius, ladies and gentlemen. But it could only work on a series this well loved.

Entwined With You, by Sylvia Day (Releases: June 4.) This book was supposed to be out in December, and knowing it was coming soon was the only way I could reconcile myself to leaving Eva and Gideon when I finished the last book. They are so dysfunctional and angsty and sexy. It’s one of the only contemporary romance series I read.

Styxx, Sherrilyn Kenyon. (Releases: September 3.) I’ll admit, I’ve been kind of on the cusp of quitting the Dark Hunter series, but this 23rd installment has the potential to bring back the magic of the early books. It’s supposed to be kind of a companion piece to Acheron, telling his twin brother’s story. I’ve missed Ash and the Olympic/ Atlantean mythology. Plus, Styxx looks like a tortured hero and Kenyon does those so well!

Dark Lycan, Christine Feehan (Releases: September.) This is the first book in the Dark series trilogy featuring Skyler and Dimitri. I have been waiting for these two to get together for so long, that I honestly had given up on Feehan ever writing their story. Dark Lycan isn’t actually “their” book. That will be Dark Wolf, out in January, but I am intrigued/ anxious about how this all will play out.

Burned, Karen Marie Moning. (Releases: I have no idea and it’s killing me!!) I had serious reservations about Dani being able to sustain the lead role in not one, but three books in the Fever world. But Iced was really, really good. And while I really don’t want to see a Dani/ Ryo pairing, KMM has never let me down. However this plays out, I have no doubt that I will be satisfied when it’s over. That’s the highest compliment I can pay an author.

What about you guys?? Which books are you dying for in 2013??

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There are so many things I like about the Darkest London series. I love the dark atmosphere and gothic feel of these books. The characters are engaging and interesting. The sexual tension and payoffs satisfy. Each story maintains the tone and core characters, but they still manage to stand apart from each other… each with very different kind of romance.

This book features Poppy, the third and eldest of the Ellis sisters. Unlike the first two book, our couple is already an established one here. Poppy and her husband Winston have been married for 14 years, and they are very much in love. But at the end of Moonglow, Winston was attacked by a paranormal being, which opened his eyes to a world he never knew existed. A world his wife is very much a part of. As long as he has known her, she has hidden not only her ice elemental abilities, but the fact that she runs an organization which polices the rogues of the supernatural community. It’s too much for him to handle, and walks out on her.

As the story begins, it’s been three months since the two of them have been apart. Each is miserable without the other, but neither knows if they can forgive the other for the hurt caused. A demon puts an end to their separation when he threatens Winston to get to Poppy. Without spoiling the details, Poppy and Win must work together to meet the demon’s demands or their lose something more precious than either is willing to sacrifice.

It’s not often I can get really invested in an established couple. I’m really more a fan of that first blush of attraction and feeling you get with a new relationship. However, I thought Kristen Callihan really made this love story sing. First of all, I loved the flashbacks. We do get to see the beginning of this relationship. But even better is the way that the roadblocks between Winston and Poppy in the present create a believable threat to their future. The sexual tension is still phenomenal (something that is usually the first thing to go with a married couple story) and I found myself rooting hard for these two to make it to the bedroom.

I liked both characters a lot. Winston is not the paragon we first thought him to be and I like seeing his flaws. By the same token, we find that Poppy’s deceit isn’t as cut and dry and we thought either. She tried to do the right thing, and through the course of the story we learn how her choices were taken away. Everyone has made mistakes, but all for honor or love.

I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to address the secondary characters. Archer, Miranda, Ian, and Daisy are back. (And we learn more about the sisters and what makes them so special.) But the real scene stealers are Mary, the Ghost in the Machine, and Jack Talent, Ian’s shapeshifting valet. Clearly, they are the focus of the next book, Shadowdance, and their setup is amazing. Their scenes here have me foaming at the mouth to read their story.

I’d say this book is about on par with Moonglow for me. I liked it a lot, though a shade less than I loved Firelight. Maybe Firelight will just always be my favorite. But this is very, very good and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series. And for those of you who haven’t tried these book yet… what are you waiting for??

Guys, you know I love Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series. Book three, Winterblaze is out tomorrow! To whet your appetite, I am excited to share a deleted scene from the book!! Check it out below the blurb. And after that, enter the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win your own copy of Winterblaze. (US Only please.)

Once blissfully in love . . .

Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership in the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, but she must keep both her ability and her alliance with the Society from her husband, Winston. Yet when Winston is brutally attacked by a werewolf, Poppy’s secrets are revealed, leaving Winston’s trust in her as broken as his body. Now Poppy will do anything to win back his affections . . .

Their relationship is now put to the ultimate test.

Winston Lane soon regains his physical strength but his face and heart still bear the scars of the vicious attack. Drawn into the darkest depths of London, Winston must fight an evil demon that wants to take away the last hope of reconciliation with his wife. As a former police inspector, Winston has intelligence and logic on his side. But it will take the strength of Poppy’s love for him to defeat the forces that threaten to tear them apart.

Now check out the deleted scene. It’s a sexy one!! Don’t say I never gave you anything.

Poppy’s straight brow snapped together in annoyance. Her face, no longer framed by that mass of red, appeared stronger now, the clean lines of her jaw and nose highlighted, and yet she also looked strangely delicate and exposed. Without warning, his cock stirred.

“Maim myself?” she said. “It is only hair, Win. It will grow back.” Again she shrugged. “Though speaking practically, it feels rather nice to be free of it. Lighter.”

“Bollocks!” His fist, still clutching her shorn hair, slammed into the sink and a satisfying jolt of pain went up his arm. “Bollocks to this, Poppy!”

Red washed over her cheeks as she strode forward. “Well there is no need to shout.”

He raked back his own hair for fear of hitting something. “Why the suit?” It was an inane question in the scheme of things but he could not move past the sight.

It dawned on him then, her words and what she was trying to say. “You think to fight Isley?” He blinked. “When you are with child.”

Poppy scowled. “Have you a better plan? For I am not giving him my child. Nor my brother. Logic demands that I destroy him before he destroys you.”

“I will fight him.”

She actually laughed. “No.”

“No? Have you—“ Blood rushed to his head, making his ears ring. “You’ve lost your bloody mind if you think I’m going along with this.”

“You act is if I am offering a choice.” Poppy crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. Jesus, but she looked like a young man now. She’d pass just fine, with her strong features and short hair. Her long, thin body would…

“Where the fuck are your breasts!” His head spun with horror. He could see any sign of them where her -his- white work shirt peaked out over the loose tweed waistcoat.

Poppy stopped short and frowned at him for one agonizing moment. A moment in which he thought… He didn’t know what he thought. Her bloody, buggering hair was gone! But then she was laughing. A rare full-bellied laugh.

“What?” she said though her laughter. “Did you think I cut them off too?” Her white throat arched as she tilted her head back and laughed with abandon.

He didn’t remember moving, but in the space of a breath, his hands were on her shoulders, clutching hard. Her back met with the wall and he followed, shoving a thigh between her, pressing his hips into that snug little juncture. “Where are they?” It was an irrational question, but rationality had long since left the room.

She gaped up at him, her soft, pink lips a little circle of surprise. He stamped his lips upon hers, swallowing down her protest, opening up her mouth with his, and he was lost. Lust roared in his ears, and turned his blood to fire. He groaned into her mouth. Here was the sustenance he craved. She kissed him back, as starved and furious as he was, and he shuddered, his hand holding her jaw to keep her still. “Where? Where, Poppy? Where?”

Buttons scattered, pinging like hail onto the tiles, as he wrenched the shirt apart and saw wide binding that held down her breasts. Unconscionable. One hard tug and her pert, white breasts sprung free. Pink, puffy nipples taunted him. On a growl, he bent down, caught one smooth tip his his mouth and sucked hard. She gasped and arched off the wall, her fingers twining into his hair. He sucked harder, opening his mouth to pull more of her breast into it. The nipple stiffened under his tongue. Driving him mad. He drew back and licked it, reveling in the way it moved this way and that under his ministrations.

God her taste. He’d never get enough. Nor have his fill. His free hand found the other poor, abused little breast. He fondled it, let her nipple slide

between his fingers before he pinched and pulled it with firm tugs.

“More, Win. More.” Poppy writhed against the motion, her hips slamming against his, one long leg curling around his waist. It was all the invitation he needed. More buttons flew to the floor as he ripped at her trousers. The oddness of it, undressing a man and finding only soft woman beneath made his head spin. Then he saw a flash of copper curls and didn’t think anymore.

Wet heat slipped and slid against his fingers. Cool air hit the backs of his thighs. Had she opened his trousers, or had he? He didn’t bloody care. Lust, anger, desperation was a boiling stew within him, driving him dizzy, and urging him faster. His mouth found her pulse, and his teeth tested that fragrant skin. No more silken hair to tickle his nose, just strong, smooth skin. Damn her. Damn her for changing everything. He grabbed firm thighs and lifted her high as her cool hand curled around him and tugged with impudence. Almost there, love. And then he was, sinking in deep and fast, her wetness surrounding him. He groaned against her throat. Tight. So damn tight, it almost hurt to drive into her. That kick to his gut, that sweet pain, it happened every time he took her. Every damn time.

Sliding his arms beneath her knees, he held spread her wider. “This,” he growled, looking down at where they were joined. “This is why I live.” Out he pulled, and then in. A long glide into her silken clasp. Her lashes fluttered as she watched him move, watched his cock sink into her. Her lips parted on a pant. He licked them, his harsh breath mingling with hers. “To adore you this way. It is everything.”

“Win.” Her lips clung to his. “Please…”

“No.” He leaned back, thrust into her. “Watch us together, Poppy.” Never before had he been so aware of his own flesh, the tension along his back, the way his arse clenched with every hard thrust, her smooth legs wrapped around him, and her heat. That tight heat that held him so well.

“Watch us,” he gasped. “And then tell me you mean to go it alone.”

Eyes drifting closed, she shivered, and stretched her arms over her head so that her tantalizing breasts tilted upward like an offering. He took it, grasping hold of one sweet handful and pinching her pink nipple. Hard. A sharp tug that he knew would shatter her. Poppy’s long, lean body shuddered, and a flush of red rose from her bouncing breasts as she keened.

That sound and the way her straight brows snapped together even as her mouth parted with the cry sent him over the edge. He slammed into her, thrusting her body up the wall, as his arm around her back absorbed the impact. Again. Again.

His knees ached, his thighs burning as he pumped into her, the wet sounds of flesh sliding against flesh mingling with their grunts. He couldn’t look at her, not yet, but kissed her neck, devouring it as if it might imprint her taste in his mouth when they would eventually part. She clutched his shoulders, her fingers digging into his muscles with a pinch of pain. Heat shot along his back and up his bollocks. The press of her body against his, and the tight clench of her sex spurred him on. Faster, harder. Every muscle in his body tense as the heat flared higher. Close. Not yet. Not yet.

He shifted, angled his hips until his cock grazed against the little nub of her sex, just the way she liked it.

“Oh, hell.” She gasped, her body arching like a bow as she came. And came. Her teeth sank into his shoulder as she gripped him, her sex drawing his cock further in. Win groaned against the onslaught. His eyes squeezed tight as the pressure built in a white hot wave. He shouted his release and ground against her, pleasure and pain becoming one.

They stayed like that, panting and slick with sweat, until his knees gave out and he crumpled to the floor, taking her with him. Her cool cheek pressed against the constant ache of his scars as they held each other with weak and shaking limbs. Her beautiful breasts were flushed and damp and trembling. Without thought, he touched one pink peak, grazing it with the tip of his finger, and a base thrill went through him when she whimpered and lifted herself to follow his retreating finger. As weakened as he was, his cock still twitched, struggling to rise to the occasion, wanting another go. He clasped the back of her neck and drew her closer. “Poppy.” He didn’t know what to do to make things right.

But she did. Her lips settled on the thick scar across his throat. “Just hold me, Win.”

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Reviewed by Jen

This was not the best romance the Psy-Changeling series has to offer. Not by a mile. But I really still enjoyed the book. There were so many other really great things going on, mostly with the characters we have already grown to know and love.

OK, let’s talk about the romance first. We first met Riaz back in Andrew & Indigo’s book. His life sucks in a big way, since he met his mate and she is already happily married to someone else. He’s come back to the den to lick his wounds and take solace in the pack. Our heroine is Indigo’s aunt, Adria. She has finally broken up with Martin, her longtime partner in a highly dysfunctional relationship. She was too dominant for him and he made her pay for the disparity with passive aggressive cruelty. Now she is starting over, but is afraid to risk her heart.

There’s an attraction between Riaz and Adria right away, but Riaz feels like being with another woman is a betrayal to his true mate. He punishes Adria for his attraction to her and constantly tries to put distance between them. It made him hard to like. Eventually, they go the “friends with benefits” route, but feelings start to creep in, which ends up terrifying the both of them.

Riaz isn’t a bad guy. He’s stuck in a miserable position, but he treated Adria like garbage for a good chunk of the book. It didn’t make me a fan of their relationship. She was always trying to guard her heart, and who could blame her? She KNOWS another woman was meant for him. It’s also hard for the romance lover in me to know these two can never mate, even with the poignant reminder that humans have love without mating all the time. Even though you know they’ll end up together, it was just kind of a bummer for the most part.

Where the book shines, though, is when it puts its focus on the secondary characters. We get to see a lot of Hawke and Sienna as they enjoy mated bliss. Their mating ceremony was amazing. It made me cry! We also get a healthy dose of Mercy and Riley –another one of my favorite couples. And we get to see them all come together as friends. The scenes with Riley and Hawke are among the best in the book. I laughed a lot. I felt so connected to these characters and their lives. It was great storytelling.

And my review wouldn’t be complete without a shoutout to the ongoing Psy storyline involving Kaleb, the Arrows, Pure Psy and the ghost. The ending was phenomenal and I can only hope and pray that Kaleb’s book is next! I can’t wait.